


Bingo

by NYWCgirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe, Concussions, Gen, Gunshot Wounds, Hurt/Comfort, Prison Riot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-02
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-09-03 18:57:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8726407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Neal Caffrey is a CO in a prison where Peter is send to. Conditions are harsh and a riot is eminent.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This story fills the ‘Tyranny/rebellion square on my H/C bingo card. This story is a timestamp in a larger story that is being written at the moment.

The atmosphere is tense when the inmates going to work, are released from their cells. The school going ones already left. Peter feels the tension, it is like a blanket, it is everywhere. It has been building all week, since there were rumors that a guard mistreated an inmate.

Peter can tell the guards are more vigilant this morning, it is remarkable how he can pick up in the nuances in their voices. He hasn´t been that long in prison. It feels like a sixth sense has developed over the weeks.

“Doors opening!” A CO hollers.

Peter stands at the door waiting for the next command.

“Step out!”

Peter walks out of his cell like the others and faces the opposite wall of the corridor.

“Turn and step in!”

The lines of inmates follows the command.

“OK ladies, let´s go.”

Peter rolls his eyes. Hernandez is always the same, he can´t leave the sneers and degrading remarks.

The CO asks to unlock the door to the next block. The door opens and the moment Hernandez steps through it, they can all hear the roars. It is the sound of men fighting and it only takes a couple of seconds before everybody realizes what is happening.

Peter can hear Neal yell behind him “LOCK DOWN, LOCK DOWN.”, sealing his own faith when Hernandez slams the door shut, locking his fellow CO in with the inmates.

The convicts overpower the understaffed guards in the hallway. They surge forward and Peter scans the space to locate Neal. He is backed up against a wall. He tries to talk some sense into the inmates, but they all know it is a losing battle. The inmate closes to Neal, suddenly pulls out an iron bar. Peter can see it happen before Neal realizes what is happening and he calls out. Neal turns towards him while being struck. He is out immediately, but at least he deflected part of the blow. It is sickening to see how the guard goes down as a limp noodle.

“What you do that for?” the inmate shouts.

“Fool, we need hostages, not corpses.” Peter snaps back.

He walks up to Neal and checks Neal´s vitals. He has a strong pulse, hopefully he doesn´t have a cracked skull. But there is nothing Peter can do right now and he doesn´t detect any blood. Hopefully the CO is not bleeding internally.

“Put him in the first cell.”

About half an hour later, the guards in the other blocks admit defeat. Cheers can be heard throughout the prison blocks that are overtaken.

When the prisoners take stock, there were able to take over 3 cell blocks. They captured seven guards and three civilians and there were no fatalities **.** The hostages are blindfolded and fitted with four piece suits, they aren´t going anywhere quick.

It doesn´t takes long before a negotiator contacts them. BY now the inmates now that Peter is educated and they selected him as their spokesperson. He answers the phone they next time the outside tries to contact them. The prisoners have formulated their demands, so he briefs them. The negotiator is good. The other side already figured out the prisoners didn´t manage to overtake spaces that contain food. The water supply was the first thing that was shut off.

One of the prisoners in charge tells the others to collect as much water as they can. But after a quick inventory, it is obvious that they don´t have enough food to sustain them in a long standoff.

The inmates tell Peter to ask for food and water. The negotiator demands a hostage to be freed. Peter suggests that Neal will be exchanged as he is injured, but the ring leader wants to keep him, so they can keep pressure on the situation. In the end, they agree the civilians will be released for several boxes of canned food.

 

*** *  ***

Neal is not completely sure how long they have been here when the door opens. Somewhere along the way he woke up. His head is killing him and he is pretty sure he has a concussion.

Someone kneels next to him and he tenses up. “It´s Peter. I just want to check on your head wound.”

“What happened?”

“There was a riot.”

“You will never…” he stops when the nausea makes talking impossible. He swallows thickly against the bile that is rising in his throat.

“How is your head? I guess it could have been worse, there is no bleeding? How are you feeling?”

“I´m fine. What happened?” Neal whispers.

The repetition of the question makes it clear that Neal is suffering from a concussion.

“We don´t have any medication, we didn´t get hold of the infirmary. I will see what I can do to get medication.”

Neal nods, but quickly holds his head still as the nausea builds again.

“I want you to stay put and rest, allow your brain rest. I am doing everything I can to defuse the situation.”

Before Neal or any of the other guards can respond, Peter leaves the room.

 

* *  *

 

They are in their fifth day of siege when things escalate between the inmates. Hunger and thirst are back and the added stress makes the men turn on each other. Peter takes advantage to check on the five remaining guards. He quickly feeds them a piece of Mars bar and a sip of water before he leaves them again. It isn´t much, but it is all he can give them without suspicion. He can´t be found fraternizing with the CO´s. “Thanks” are whispered before he leaves.

The hostages are used to being visited by Peter. The inmates feed them once a day, but Peter always comes to check on them once more. Especially Neal who isn´t as confused anymore as in the beginning.

There is an uproar in the halls. Probably the takedown that was imminent. Peter had explained that SWAT would probably try to take back the prison any day now. The hostages can´t do much, they are still restrained and blindfolded. They can hear explosions and gunshots. It is obvious the inmates aren´t going down without a fight.

Suddenly the door opens and all the hostages tense up.

“It´s me, Peter.” He quickly cuts everybody loose. “SWAT is charging the prison. Stay down. I told authorities where you are kept, so you should be safe…”

Peter is interrupted by a couple of inmates barging into the room.

“SEE, I told you he was riding legs with the CO´s.” One of them yells to Peter. “TRAITOR!” The inmate raises a gun. Peter realizes he can´t get away, this is it. He is going to die in a prison riot, in an orange jumpsuit. The moment the inmate pulls the trigger, he is tackled down when something slams into him from the side. There is a cacophony of shouts. Before anyone can do anything there is an deafening bang, accompanied with a blinding light. Peter tries to get up, but he sort of flops like a fish on land. He forces his eyes open, but this after image makes it impossible to see anything in front of him. He feels for the person who slammed into him, but he is grabbed roughly by strong hands, turned on his stomach, cuffed and hauled away.

“My name is Peter Burke, I´m an undercover agent. My badge number is…”

“Shut up.” One of the SWAT members growls.

While he is being dragged to one of the other blocks, Hughes suddenly appears on the scene.

“Stand down, officers. This is one of my men. He was undercover in this prison.” Hughes shows them his badge and Peter is still too dazed to truly understand what is happening. Before he knows it, he is sitting in an ambulance and is checked out. It doesn´t take long for the EMT to come to the conclusion that he will live. The stun grenade the SWAT team used, caused the disorientation and temporary hearing loss.

“How is the CO who saved me?”

“We are still waiting for the body count. We will take you with us for further testing.”

“You said I was fine.” Peter looks confused.

“Yes, but we just want to make sure, agent Burke. If the CO is alive, he will be taken to the same hospital.”

When a wave of dizziness washes over Peter, he groans, admits defeat and lies down on the gurney. The EMT calls out to the driver, they are good to go while he closes the doors.

 

* *  *

 

Neal is surprised when he hears Peter again, he had thought Peter would be long gone by now, but he feels the restraints being unlocked. He pulls off his blindfold, just before several inmates enter the room and things escalate.

When Neal sees the inmates finger tighten around the trigger, well, he actually sees three fingers around a trigger if he is being honest, Neal uses his feeble strength to get up and tackle Peter to the ground. A force smacks into him and when Peter and he hit the ground, he is too stunned to move. He knows he has to get up to defuse the situation, but before he can do anything, a loud bang deafens and blinds him. His brain tells him it is SWAT and he lets go of consciousness, knowing they are being rescued.

There is a moment of confusion when he feels being trapped by something. He tries to get up, it is never good to lie down and show vulnerability in a prison environment.

A shocked voice tells him they are safe and on their way to hospital. Neal does his best to open his eyes, but his head hurts too much and he decides to listen to the voice who tells him everything is going to be OK.

The next time he opens his eyes, he is staring at a white ceiling. He can hear a beeping sound somewhere next to him. He tries to figure out what happened but he is just too tired and lets himself be pulled back under.

 

* *  *

 

_“Yeah, I am fine, El. The nurse told me that Neal is waking up, so I want to be here. No, there is no need to come over. No… Well, OK. See you soon, hon.”_

Neal can hear the person who was talking leave the room. The voice is familiar. Where did he hear it before?

He startles when someone touches his hand.

“Neal? Are you awake?”

Neal slowly blinks his eyes open and next to him is Peter. But something is not right. He is not wearing his prison uniform, he is wearing jeans and a button down.

“What happened?” he croaks.

Peter smiles.

“What is so funny?”

“You keep asking that question. Must be the concussion talking.”

“Concussion?”

“Yeah, we were in a prison riot and you were hit over the head.”

“Oh.” Is all Neal can say. That explains the monster headache.

“I will call a nurse.”

“Wait. Why are you not in your uniform?”

“Sharp as ever, even with a concussion. Let me introduce myself. My name is Special agent Peter Burke.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> CO = Correctional Officer  
> Bingo = prison slang for riot  
> Four piece suit = full set of restraints used on prisoners  
> ride leg = to be friendly with


End file.
